Generally described, computing devices and communication networks can be utilized to exchange information. In a common application, a computing device can request content from another computing device via the communication network. For example, a user at a personal computing device can utilize a software browser application to request a Web page from a server computing device via the Internet. In such embodiments, the user computing device can be referred to as a client computing device and the server computing device can be referred to as a content provider.
Content providers are generally motivated to provide requested content to client computing devices, often with consideration of efficient transmission of the requested content to the client computing device and/or consideration of a cost associated with the transmission of the content. For larger scale implementations, a content provider may receive content requests from a high volume of client computing devices which can place a strain on the content provider's computing resources. Additionally, the content requested by the client computing devices may have a number of components, which can further place additional strain on the content provider's computing resources.
Some content providers attempt to facilitate the delivery of requested content, such as Web pages and/or resources identified in Web pages, through the utilization of a content delivery network (“CDN”) service provider. A CDN server provider typically maintains a number of computing devices in a communication network that can maintain content from various content providers. In turn, content providers can instruct, or otherwise suggest to, client computing devices to request some, or all, of the content provider's content from the CDN service provider's computing devices. Upon receipt of resource requests from such client computing devices, a CDN service provider typically delivers the requested resource in accordance with terms (such as via a service plan) specified between a corresponding content provider and the CDN service provider.
As with content providers, network storage providers and CDN service providers are also generally motivated to provide requested content to client computing devices often with consideration of efficient transmission of the requested content to the client computing device and/or consideration of a cost associated with the transmission of the content. Accordingly, CDN service providers often consider factors such as latency of delivery of requested content in order to meet service level agreements or to generally improve the quality of delivery service.
In an illustrative example, a CDN service provider may employ computing devices that are placed at selected locations within the communications network. Through placement of the computing devices, as well as the selection of content maintained by the computing devices, the CDN service provider may direct content requests to computing devices that possess sufficient capacity to respond and/or are relatively close to the requesting client computing devices. In this manner, the CDN service provider may achieve reductions in latency and better manage capacity, improving quality of service.